A former football club boss says he will knock down his million-pound family home to satisfy ‘jobsworth’ council planners and his neighbours.
Paul Elliott, who once owned Championship side Charlton Athletic, fell foul of the local planning authority after extending his four-bedroom house without permission.
Now, after losing an appeals process costing hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees for him and local taxpayers, he says he’ll start again.
‘The Parish Council Chairman said they should make an example of me,’ he said, ‘but their dogma turns everyone into losers.
‘It will cost me well over half-a-million pounds, cause disruption to my neighbours and my family and it will no longer mirror what was there before.’
However some of his neighbours have claimed it is yet another example of the some of the wealthy in the village not playing fair.
Speaking to MailOnline, one anonymous source claimed Mr Elliott had increased his house by a huge 140 per-cent.
They said: ‘The wealthy use their money to try and muscle there way around rules and regulations. He has increased his house size by 140% without planning permission.
A former football club boss says he will knock down his million-pound family home to satisfy ‘jobsworth’ council planners
The planning war is occurring in the wealthy Cheshire enclave of Over Peover
Mr Elliott, 54, has denied these claims, and bought the property in the idyllic Cheshire village of Over Peover for £910,000
What the property looked like prior to Mr Elliot’s extension in 2020
‘This has been an exhausting fight for everyone and I can’t help but think what an absolute waste of taxpayer money to fight off a rich man.’
Mr Elliott, 54, has denied these claims, and bought the property in the idyllic Cheshire village of Over Peover for £910,000 in 2020.
And he claims that a local planning officer initially approved his plans, in principle, for a two-storey rear extension and side extension, only to change her mind.
‘My architect met with the Council’s planning officer and showed them our plans and they were happy with it,’ said Mr Elliott who says he is now lodging a complaint with East Cheshire District Council.
‘Hands up, I should not have started the work before it was officially approved but it was Covid, we’d sold our property and I wanted somewhere stable for my family.
‘I would never in a million years have done it if I thought for a minute they’d object.
‘But it didn’t seem controversial. All the properties in the area are massive and from the road the house looked exactly the same as it had since it was extended from a dormer bungalow in 1987.’
The works to extend the property took just six weeks to complete and by the autumn of 2020 Mr Ellott, his wife and three children had moved in.
‘I told my neighbours what I had planned,’ said Mr Elliott, ‘and having had the planning officer give it the nod, I thought it was all good.
‘The Council never made any contact with me and I just read online over Christmas that they had recommended it for refusal. I couldn’t believe it.’
Specifications from Mr Elliot’s rejected plans showing the side elevation of the house
The works to extend the property took just six weeks to complete and by the autumn of 2020 Mr Ellott, his wife and three children had moved in
He re-submitted plans in May 2021 but they too were rejected and a further appeal to the Secretary of State came back with the same result.
Last month, his final appeal was rejected by planners who gave him 12 months to take down his extension.
Mr Elliott has already submitted fresh plans for a new property on the site and has had approval for a large outbuilding to act as a play-room, living space and an office.
‘It measures 15 metres by 5 metres,’ he said, ‘ironically not so different to the extension they want removed.
‘That comes under ‘lawful use’ so they couldn’t reject that And I will have to build a new home, which won’t be as big but will no longer look like the original.
‘It is all a big waste of money and just means more disruption for my family and for my poor neighbours.’
Neighbour John Kay said: ‘It is the Council rather than us who have led the objections because it doesn’t really have a massive impact on us.
‘We do have issues. The extension was bigger than we expected and now we have two windows facing our house which don’t have frosted glass.
‘If it had been done within the rules, there would be no problem at all but the rules are there to maintain this village and should be respected.
‘That said, for it all to be knocked down and the building work to begin again seems a huge waste of money and a great disruption for us.’
Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: ‘It does not really affect me but the rules are there for a reason and you can’t just ignore them.’
Explaining the Council’s position, Conservative district councillor for the area Anthony Harrison said: ‘He has extended his property without permission so of course the Council are going to pursue it.
‘This is an affluent area and a lot of my casework is taken up by people who do not get planning permission because of the green belt but continue nevertheless.
‘In this case he has extended illegally so he has to demolish it.
‘As the planning authority we can’t allow planning law and policy to be optional.’
Mr Elliott, a businessman based in Manchester, added: ‘The system is so bureaucratic and it seems to work against anyone who wants to do anything.
‘I am not the only person round here to come up against this reflex to reject any change and exaggerate its impact.’
Last month, his final appeal was rejected by planners who gave him 12 months to take down his extension
Villagers in Over Peover, previously complained their lives have been made a living hell by helicopters flying in and out three times a day
According to Zoopla, the average price of properties in the exquisite village near Alderley Edge is over a million pounds.
Mr Elliott’s large garden backs onto an estate owned by the Stobart family of haulage fame.
Last year, local councillors objected to owner William Stobart allowing a helicopter business to operate from his estate.
Mr Elliott said: ‘If anyone should object to that it’s me. I’m the closest property but it is really not a problem – like a lorry going past a couple of times a day.
‘The councillors want some sort of perfection so their instinct is always to reject.
‘There is disused farm nearby that they want to turn into a riding stables but of course that is getting objections because it might increase traffic.’
A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said: ‘Where we are made aware of suspected breaches, our officers will investigate the complaint and, where appropriate, consider action in accordance with the council’s enforcement policy.
‘An enforcement notice was issued in May 2024 following the unauthorised erection of several extensions at a property on Stocks Lane, Over Peover, Knutsford.
‘This was appealed and the appeal subsequently dismissed.’
